The executive team, pastors, and SWWA synod staff are excited to introduce a new pastoral leader for Jubilee Collective. Jae Bates, who is currently completing his Masters of Divinity internship at Peace Lutheran Church in Tacoma, will serve half of his remaining internship for his MDivX program through Luther Seminary at Jubilee.
In an agreement between Luther Seminary, Peace Lutheran, the SWWA Synod, and Messiah's executive team, Jae will spend 10 hours a week learning and serving as the pastoral leader at Jubilee.
Jae's first in-person meeting with the Jubilee Collective will be this Sunday at its saving Halloween event at the Vancouver YWCA.
We warmly welcome Jae to Jubilee's ministry and look forward to the gifts he brings and the learnings he will have while serving the collective! – Pr. Peter
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From Jae
Peace to you all! I'm so incredibly excited to begin connecting and leading with Jubilee Collective. I come to you in an unusual way as has been a life's theme for me. I am a shared intern with Peace Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA and currently enrolled in my final year of MDivX (Master of Divinity Accelerated) with Luther Seminary. I work as a full-time student and part-time intern. This is all messed up from the traditional route but that's how I roll.
I identify as a queer, transgender man of color who is a Korean adoptee and living with chronic-illness and invisible disabilities. I was born in Suwon, South Korea, grew up in the Minneapolis area, and now I live in Tacoma, WA with my dog (who I adopted in Vancouver!) and my partner Isaiah. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2018 and had every intention of going into Higher Education, Social Work, or Teaching but felt God's call to seminary and fulfill a call to serving marginalized communities as a Christian Public Leader rather than as a secular worker. Prior to working in ministry, I worked as a community organizer working with communities of faith and communities of color and also in Student Affairs handling Transgender Student housing options at the University of Puget Sound.
I actually grew up in a family who carried quite negative views of organized Church and if you told me or my family I'd end up in ministry; we'd all have laughed right in your face! Developing and stepping into faith has been a long journey for me that has emerged from my understanding of God as a liberator and my understanding of the Gospel as good news for the oppressed. I now seek to share the liberation and freedom found in the Good News of Christ as it pertains to those living in marginal experiences. Outside of my formal ministry time, I run an LGBTQ+ Affirming small group bible study for young adults in Tacoma, WA.
My favorite ways to spend my spare time are: cooking (and eating), hiking, skiing, walking my dog, studying language, playing video games, watching movies, and listening to music & podcasts.
